New Export Visa Stamp for Certain Textiles and Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Hong Kong

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

New Export Visa Stamp for Certain Textiles and Textile Products

Produced or Manufactured in Hong Kong

December 23, 1997.

AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs providing

for the use of a new export visa stamp.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Heinzen, International Trade

Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of

Commerce, (202) 482-4212.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: Section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as

amended (7 U.S.C. 1854); Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as

amended.

Beginning on January 1, 1998, the Government of the Hong Kong

Special Administrative Region will start issuing a new circular visa

stamp. The visa number, date of issue, category(ies) and quantity(ies)

will be printed by computer inside the circular stamp. This new visa

will be issued on Export Licenses covering shipments of textile

products, produced or manufactured in Hong Kong and exported on or

after January 1, 1998.

Effective on January 1, 1998, textile products produced or

manufactured in Hong Kong and exported on or after January 1, 1998

shall be accompanied by a circular visa which includes the visa number,

date of issue, category(ies) and quantity(ies) printed by computer

inside the circular stamp. There will be a grace period from January 1,

1998 through January 31, 1998 during which the old or the new visa will

be acceptable. The new visa stamp must accompany goods exported after

January 31, 1998. If the merchandise is not accompanied by the

appropriate visa, products will be denied entry and a new visa must be

obtained.

A facsimile of the new visa stamp is on file at the U.S. Department

of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC, room

3100.

See 58 FR 2400, published on January 19, 1983.

J. Hayden Boyd,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

December 23, 1997.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

Dear Commissioner: This directive amends, but does not cancel,

the directive issued to you on January 14, 1983, as amended, by the

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

That directive directed you to prohibit entry of certain textiles

and textile products, produced or manufactured in Hong Kong for

which the Government of Hong Kong has not issued an appropriate

visa.

Beginning on January 1, 1998, the Government of the Hong Kong

Special Administrative Region will start issuing a new circular visa

stamp. The visa number, date of issue, category(ies) and

quantity(ies) will be printed by computer inside the circular stamp.

This new visa will be issued on Export Licenses covering shipments

of textile products, produced or manufactured in Hong Kong and

exported on or after January 1, 1998.

Effective on January 1, 1998, you are directed to accept

shipments of textile products, produced or manufactured in Hong Kong

and exported on or after January 1, 1998 which are accompanied by a

circular visa issued by the Government of Hong Kong Special

Administrative Region which includes the visa number, date of issue,

category(ies) and quantity(ies) printed by computer inside the

circular stamp. There will be a grace period from January 1, 1998

through January 31, 1998 during which the old or the new visa will

be acceptable. The new visa stamp must accompany goods exported

after January 31, 1998. If the merchandise is not accompanied by the

appropriate visa, products will be denied entry and a new visa must

be obtained.

A facsimile of the new visa stamp is enclosed with this letter.

Shipments entered or withdrawn from warehouse according to this

directive which are not accompanied by an appropriate export visa

shall be denied entry and a new visa must be obtained.

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has

determined that this action falls within the foreign affairs

exception to the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).

Sincerely,

J. Hayden Boyd,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements.

[FR Doc. 97-34065 Filed 12-30-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F